Get a Samsung ATIV Book 2 or Acer Aspire V5 with a Smart Gadget Plus Plan

We already wrote about Smart's Gadget Plus plans last month. These plans would allow you to get an Alcatel Tab 7 HD tablet or Samsung Galaxy Note 8, bundled with a Smart WiFi router and 50 hours of internet. Smart has now expanded the plan to include laptops.

You have the choice of a 14-inch Samsung ATIV Book 2 or 11.6-inch Acer Aspire V5 122P touchscreen laptop. The tablet plan for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8  has also been revised with a cash out of Php2,000 being added.

Gadget Plan 999

- Php999 a month for 50 hours of internet plus your selected device.

- Hours used in excess of 50 will be charged at Php5 per 15 minutes (Php20/hour).

- Should you go past 80 hours you will be charged a total fee of Php1,599 for the month and you will be moved to an unlimited data connection for that month.

Cash out:

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 with a Pocket WiFi router - Php2,000

Samsung ATIV Book 2 with a USB dongle - Php1,500

Acer Aspire V5 122P with a USB dongle - Php2,500

Click on the image for a large size

Gadget Plan 699

- Php699 a month for 50 hours of internet plus an Alcatel T7 HD and a Pocket WiFi router

- Hours used in excess of 50 will be charged at Php5 per 15 minutes (Php20/hour).

- Should you go past 80 hours you will be charged a total fee of Php1,299 for the month and you will be moved to an unlimited data connection for that month.

Cash out: 

None. Tablet and router are free.

Click on the image for a large size

Asus Memo Pad HD 7 versus Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt

Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt

The low cost, Php3,999 Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt has been an easy tablet to recommend. When someone asks for a 7-inch Android tablet recommendation, I recommend the Fusion Bolt or the Nexus 7. The price gap between the two is large, but what comes in between these two is not all that interesting, unless someone wants a 3G tablet.

Asus Memo Pad HD 7

The Asus Memo Pad HD 7 threatens to change all that. The Asus Memo Pad HD 7 and Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt have similar specifications. Both are WXGA (1280 x 800) Android tablets with quad core processors and 1 GB of RAM. Both are about the same size and weight. The Asus Memo Pad HD 7 comes in two variants, the cheaper one comes with 8 GB of internal storage for Php6,995. I have not seen this one on the store shelves though. What I have seen is the 16 GB version which cost all of 2K more. Since there is a MicroSD card slot, I would recommend getting the 8 GB version instead.

Now Php6,995 is a lot higher than the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt's price of Php3,999. Is the Asus Memo Pad HD 7 worth it?  

While Asus is a much more respected brand, the Asus Memo Pad HD 7 is not a premium product. You do not get Gorilla or Dragon glass. The glossy plastic back looks like it could pick up scratches pretty easily. In terms of performance, reviews of the Asus Memo Pad HD 7 and Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt indicate that they would have similar levels of performance.

So what does your extra 3K get you? The Asus Memo Pad HD 7 has GPS and Bluetooth. On the other hand, you lose the mini-HDMI port and it does not appear to support USB on-the-go. The Asus Memo Pad HD 7 promises 10 hours of battery life, as against the 6 of the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt. The 6 hours of the Fusion Bolt is confirmed by several users. No feedback yet on the battery life of the Asus Memo Pad HD 7.

The Asus Memo Pad HD 7 is another nice low cost Android tablet to consider. It is pretty good for the price as compared to other offerings. But it misses the mark in terms of being a Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt killer.

Asus ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7

I think the ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7 will be a hit in the local market. It combines a known manufacturer, with decent specifications and a low price. 

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 7-inch HD (720 x 1280) IPS display
• 8 or 16 GB internal storage, expandable via a Micro SD card
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.2 GHz quad core ARM Cortex-A7 processor/MediaTek MT8125 chipset 
• PowerVR SGX544 graphics processor 
• 5 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
• 1.2 MP front camera
• WiFi
• Bluetooth 4.0
• GPS
• 10-hour battery

The ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7 is priced at Php6,995 for the 8GB model, and Php8,995 for the 16 GB model. It is very competitively priced being in the same range as locally branded products.

CloudFone Thrill 530qx - 5.3-inch quad core phablet with a 4500 mAh battery

A few days ago when CloudFone said it had something big coming up this week, it crossed my mind that they were referring to a phablet. Personally, I was hoping to a follow-up to the 2012 release, the 430x Thrill with its massive 4160 mAh battery. Well, CloudFone has brought us the best of both worlds.

Meet the CloudFone Thrill 530qx.

Big Part 1. The CloudFone Thrill 530qx is a 5.3-inch phablet. The display is a qHD (540 x 960) IPS display. Powering this smartphone is a 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek 6589M processing unit and 1 GB of RAM. The MediaTek 6589M supports two SIM's and HSPA+ connectivity. Internal storage is 4 GB which is expandable via a MicroSD card. As for the camera, the CloudFone Thrill 530qx has a 12 MP autofocus primary camera equipped with a flash. The front camera is a 5 MP unit.

Big Part 2. Keeping all this running is a massive 4500 mAh battery. That is bigger than the battery of the Lenovo P780 and Hauwei Ascend Mate.

Software. CloudFone did a lot of work on the software. This smartphone runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. But its not your Vanilla offering. The camera supports smile detection, burst shots, HDR, face-beautifying feature, and picture grid. The user interface offers gesture-based controls and pop-up play. A bit of contextual awareness was added to the mix. Turning the device face down mutes calls and pauses music or videos. Shaking your device or placing the phone over your ear will automatically answer a call.

Another nice touch is the phone comes in a brown case. Refreshing is a world awash with black, white, red, yellow and blue smartphones.

The CloudFone Thrill 530qx is priced at Php9,999 and should hit the shelves in the first week of October.

More pictures:

Smart Communications Gadget Plus Plans

Smart Communications is offering a new service and device bundle it calls gadget plus. Basically, Gadget Plus bundles the 50 hour a month Data Plan 399 with a WiFi router and a tablet. The monthly fee depends on the device chosen:

• Php699 per month - Alcatel Tab 7 HD 
• Php799 per month - Acer Iconia W3-810
• Php999 per month - Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The lock in period for all the offerings is 24 months.

The Alcatel Tab 7 HD is a 7-inch dual core Android Jelly Bean Tablet. Like its name indicates, it has a HD (800 x 1280) display. I have a separate article on the Alcatel tablet at this link.

The Acer Iconia W3-810 is a 8-inch Windows 8 tablet.

The third Gadget Plus offering is the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The model smart is offering is apparently the WiFi only version and not the GSM/3G model you see on the store shelves. The Galaxy Note 8 is a 8-inch Android Jelly Bean tablet which has been specifically designed to work with a stylus.

MSI Primo 81 - Another Apple iPad mini look-alike

The other day I was writing about the Ramos X10 Mini Pad, which is clearly an Apple iPad mini look-alike. The is another iPad mini look-alike which has hit the market, and this one comes closer to the mark, the MSI Primo 81.

The MSI Primo 81 has a 7.85 inch, 1024 x 768 pixel IPS display, which has the same size, resolution and aspect ratio as the display on the iPad mini. The MSI Primo 81 also comes in a aluminum case which is just a hair bit thicker than the iPad mini.

• MSI Primo 81 - 200 x 135 x 7.8mm
• Apple iPad mini - 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm

At 330g, the MSI Primo 81 comes pretty close to the 308g weight of the iPad mini too.

The MSI Primo 81 ships with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is powered by a Allwinner A31s Quad core 1.0 GHz quad-core processor and PowerVR SGX544MP2 graphics. The MSI Primo 81 comes with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. Inter storage is expandable via a microSD card slot. Power is provided via a adequately sized 3500 mAh battery. The Ramos tablet has a VGA front camera, a 2MP rear camera, a HDMI port, WiFi and Bluetooth, but lacks GPS. Ironically, with HDMI out and USB-on-the-go support, this might actually make a better laptop replacement than the iPad mini.

Street price for the the MSI Primo 81 is at Php8,500, which is almost half the cost of an Apple iPad mini. 

Ramos X10 Mini Pad Tablet - Apple iPad look-alike

The number of tablets in the local market from second and third tier manufacturers is staggering, so I just try to cover the ones that catch my eye. One of these is the Ramos X10 Mini Pad Tablet and its claim to fame is that it looks suspiciously like a Apple iPad mini. 

The Ramos X10 Mini Pad has a 7.85 inch, 1024 x 768 pixel display, which has the same size, resolution and aspect ratio as the display on the iPad mini. The Ramos X10 Mini Pad also comes in a aluminum case. Now the is it actually a bit wider and thicker than an iPad mini:

• Ramos X10 Mini Pad - 200 x 138 x 8.9mm
• Apple iPad mini - 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm

The Ramos X10 Mini Pad also feels a lot heavier than an iPad mini.

The Ramos X10 Mini Pad ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is powered by a Actions ATM7029 quad-core processor and Vivante GC1000 graphics. This is the same chipset used to power the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt.  The Ramos X10 Mini comes with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. Inter storage is expandable via a microSD card slot. Power is provided via a adequately sized 4000 mAh battery. The Ramos tablet has a 2MP front and a 5MP rear cameras, a HDMI port. and WiFi, but lacks Bluetooth and GPS.

Street price for the the Ramos X10 Mini Pad is at Php7,500, which is less than half the cost of an Apple iPad mini. The Ramos X10 Mini Pad does cost almost twice as much as the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt which actually has a sharper display and identical speed parts. 

Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet A1000 and A3000

Lenovo has released two new tablets in the Philippines, the IdeaPad A1000 and A3000. Both tablets are Android tablets, with 7-inch displays. What makes both tablets interesting is that both support USB-on-the-go, which is a very useful feature, especially if you plan to make your tablet your primary computing device.

The IdeaPad A1000 is the cheaper of the two, which can be found for sale at just Php6,350 with an official warranty.

A1000 quick specifications:

• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• 7-inch (1024 x 600) display  
• 4 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.2 GHz dual core ARM Cortex-A9 processor
•  MediaTek MT8317 chipset
• VGA  front camera
• HSPA
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• GPS
• USB-on-the-go
• 3500 mAh battery

The IdeaPad A3000 is the more powerful of the two, and can be found for sale at Php9,600.

A3000 quick specifications:

• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• 7-inch (1024 x 600) display  
• 16 GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.2 GHz quad core ARM Cortex-A7 processor
•  MediaTek MT8389 chipset
• 5 MP primary autofocus camera 
• VGA  front camera
• HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• USB-on-the-go
• 3500 mAh battery

HP Slate 7 - Another low cost tablet rolls into town

The HP Slate 7 is now available in the Philippines. The Slate 7 is a low cost Android tablet running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It has a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution display, a dual core ARM Cortex A9 processor and 1 GB of RAM. This is a bit below par for its price of Php7,690, with lower cost tablets coming with HD displays and quad core processors.

Still, if you are looking for something low cost, but "branded", to take with you to corporate meetings this one just might fit the bill. The Beats branding on the bottom of the tablet does not hurt.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 P5210

One area where Android is having a hard time penetrating the market is in the area of larger 10-inch or so tablets. Samsung's newly released Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 P5210 seems to be a recognition of this. It really offers nothing compelling, but it looks like it was released just so Samsung could maintain a presence in this market.

It comes with a 10.1-inch HD (1280 x 800) display, 1 GB of RAM, a dual core Intel Atom Z2560 processor, PowerVR SGX544MP2 graphics and 16 GB of expandable storage. All in all, it is not a bad package for the asking price. I have found it for sale, with a Samsung Warranty at just Php16,490. It is not an Apple iPad 4 competitor and is not priced like one. It offers better hardware than the iPad 2, but the iPad has a better app ecosystem.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 P5210 is not something I would recommend to friends, but if you want a 10-inch or so tablet, and don't want an iPad, it is not a bad choice.

Cherry Mobile Superion TV 2 - Multi-faceted

There have been a lot of dual core phones hitting the market since last year, and now we have a dual SIM tablet, and it is rather reasonably priced. The Cherry Mobile Superion TV 2  won't impress you with its  display or speed parts.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• Dual SIM
• 7-inch WVGA (480 x 800) display
• 4 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 512 MB RAM
• 1 GHz dual core MediaTek MT6577 orocessor
• PowerVR SGX531 graphics
• 2 MP primary camera
• 0.3 MP front camera
• HSPA
• WiFi
• TV
• FM Radio
• 3000 mAh battery

But for Php4,999 you do get two SIM slots, and one of them supports HSPA connectivity. You also get a TV antenna and an FM Radio. I am having a hard time figuring out who would be the target market for this kind of product. It is a tablet which doubles as a really big dual SIM phone, and moonlights really  as a small TV.

Cherry Mobile Air - Php2,999 Android Jelly Bean Tablet

When Cherry Mobile announced it was releasing "The One" I was hoping for a Cherry Mobile phone inspired by the HTC One. The One, is actually the Cherry Mobile Fusion Air, or the tablet for Juan. The specifications sheet is not very impressive:

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 7-inch WVGA (480 x 800) display
• 4 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 512 MB RAM
• 1 GHz single core orocessor
• Mali-400 graphics
• 0.3 MP front camera
• WiFi
• 2200 mAh battery

The asking price is just Php2,999. But still, it is hard to get excited. You all know I am a bit of an advocate of cheap technology, but... Adding 1K more gets you a much nicer Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt with an HD display, quad core processor and a larger battery.

Alcatel One Touch Tab 7 HD

When Alcatel was releasing their new products last April, there was one I forgot to write about, Alcatel One Touch Tab 7 HD. I saw one yesterday and it is a nicely built tablet. The price, Php7,490 is about what you expect to pay these days for a 7-inch tablet with a 720p HD display. 

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• 7-inch IPS HD display (800 x 1280)
• 4 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.6 GHz dual core RockChip 3066 processor
• Mali-400MP graphics chip 
• 2 MP primary camera
• VGA front camera
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• 3300 mAh battery

I noticed it did lack a few things. It has no ambient light sensor to adjust screen brightness and no GPS. The 3300 mAh battery is smaller than the 4000 mAh batteries you find on may 7-inch tablets. Build quality is good and the tablet is a nice slim 9 mm thick.

The RockChip 3066 chipset which uses a dual Core ARM Cortex-A9 processor which you find in many low cost tablets which performs well enough. It scores about 10000 points on Antutu benchmarks.

While it is not the bang for the buck 7-inch tablet in the market, it is a reasonable enough proposition. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is the third generation of Samsung original tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000. But Samsung Galaxy Tab has gone from being a top of the line product in 2010, to a budget priced device in 2013.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is priced nicely enough at Php9,200. But even at that price, a bit expensive compared to the Asus Memo Pad and Acer Iconia B1. Its specifications are modest by today standards.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
• 7-inch 1024 x 600 display
• 8 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.2 GHz dual core processor 
• 3.15 MP primary camera
• 1.3 front camera
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• GPS 
• 4000 mAh battery

But this tablet has a really nice size. Samsung did a great job of reducing the size of the bezel making the new Tab 3 a whole 10 mm narrower than previous models and also making it a lot lighter at just 302 grams. 

Acer Iconia A1-810-81251G01nw - 7.9-inch Android tablet

Acer Iconia A1 has been launched in the Philippines. The 7.9-inch XGA display really takes of cues from the Apple iPad mini, and it really cannot avoid comparison to Apple's newest tablet. More on that later.

The Acer Iconia A1 is priced at Php9,990, and is available for that price at 12-months deferred payment. For cash, you can probably expect to get it for 9K flat. This makes it 60% cheaper than an Apple iPad mini. At first glance Acer actually has the advantage in terms of specifications.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
• 7.9-inch XGA (1024 x 786) IPS display
• 16 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.2 GHz quad core MediaTek MTK8125 processor 
• PowerVR SGX544 graphics
• 5 MP primary camera
• VGA front camera
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• GPS 
• 4960 mAh battery

Notably, the Acer Iconia A-1 has expandable storage and does come with GPS.

Where is looses out to the Apple iPad mini is in handiness. 

Acer Iconia A1: 208.7 x 145.7 x 11.1 mm 

Apple iPad mini: 200 x 134.7 x 7.2 mm 

The Apple iPad mini is 9 mm shorter, 11 mm narrower and 4 mm thinner. In terms of weight, the Apple iPad mini is also just three-forths of the weight of the Acer Iconia A1. 

Basically, the Acer Iconia A1 is a nice offering for the price. The Apple iPad mini gives you a few good reasons to fork out more cash.

KATA T2 - 8-inch Android Tablet

I like 9:16 aspect ratio displays on smartphones which is the aspect ratio of FWVGA,  qHD, HD and Full HD displays. Apple adopted the a 9:16 for the Apple iPhone 5. This aspect ratio is ideal for watching HD and Full HD video, and makes for narrower and handier large screen phones. It is fine for use browsing mobile sites. I think it is a great aspect ratio for a device used mainly on portrait mode, and less frequently on landscape mode.

With tablets, it is a different story. I prefer devices with a 3:4 aspect ratio like Apple iPad's. While most Android tablets use the 9:16 aspect ratio, there are a growing number of Android tablet using 3:4 aspect ratio displays like the 8-inch Cherry Mobile Fusion Wind and the soon to be released Acer Iconia A1.

Another contender in this Arena is the KATA T2.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean
• 8-inch XGA (1024 x 786) IPS display
• 8 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.6 GHz dual core processor
• Mali-400MP graphics
• 5 MP primary camera
• 2 MP front camera
• WiFi
• Bluetooth 
• 4100 mAh battery

Compared to the Cherry Mobile Fusion Wind, the KATA T2 is priced 1K higher. For this you do get more internal storage (8 GB versus 4 GB) and better camera (5 MP primary and 2 MP front versus 2 MP primary and VGA front). You also get bluetooth 2.1, which alone, in my opinion, is worth the 1K price difference. 

Cherry Mobile Fusion Wave - Exynos Inside

Cherry Mobile latest tablet is the Fusion Wave. The Fusion Wave is an 8-inch Android Tablet with a XGA (1024 x 768) display. The highlight of this tablet is the quad core 1.4GHz Samsung Exynos processor, which comes with Mali-400 graphics on board. Keeping all this running is a sufficiently large 5100 mAh battery. Priced at Php7,499, it is less than half the price of a Apple iPad mini, which in terms of screen size and aspect ratio. It is more expensive than a lot of its locally branded competitors, but it does justify the price with its Samsung Exynos credentials.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.0.4 Ice Crean Sandwich
• 8-inch XGA (1024 x 786) IPS display
• 8 GB internal storage expandable via a MicroSD card slot
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.6 GHz dual core processor
• Mali-400MP graphics
• 2 MP primary camera
• 2 MP front camera
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• Compatible with USB 3G Dongle 
• 5100 mAh battery

Disappointingly, the new tablet runs on older version of Android, and not the current Jelly Bean release. Cherry Mobile has issued Jelly Bean updates for several of its Ice Cream Sandwich devices, so hopefully it will update the Fusion Wave too.

The Next Nexus 7

The Droid Guy reports that a new Asus tablet, codenamed K009 has just passed through the US FCC. Notably, it was reported under two brand names, ASUS and "nexus", with the explanation that the second name is used "For marketing purpose."

The processor used is a Qualcomm S4 Pro, the same processor used in the Google Nexus 4 and most notably in the Sony Xperia Z and ZL. This chipset supports 1080p displays and the next Nexus 7 is widely believed to be coming with Full HD display. It also appears that the next Nexus 7 will sport front and rear cameras as well as come with LTE onboard.

Cherry Mobile Wave Tablet to sport a quad core Samsung Exynos Processor

Cherry Mobile has released another teaser for its new Wave tablet, confirming what we already knew, that it runs on a Samsung Exynos processor. The new teaser does tell us how many cores it has, and it is a quad core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. That is the same processor used on the Samsung Galaxy S III. 

The Cherry Mobile Wave will be launched this month.

Cherry Mobile to launch a Samsung Exynos powered "Wave" tablet

Following the 5.7-inch Blaze 2.0 phablet release, Cherry Mobile has released another product teaser. This time for the Cherry Mobile Wave. From the image, it is clearly a tablet. If you click the image on top and view a larger version you will see Android tablet soft buttons on the left side of the display obscured by the grey wave. On the bottom right hand corner of the picture, you will see the words "Powered by Samsung Exynos".